Spool



Allg 9, 1938- D. A. sPRlGlNGs 2,126,053

SPOOL Filed Jan. 2o, 193s r J f Jal/bg; u? priv@ Patented Aug. 9, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SPOOL David A. Sprigings, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor to Standard Container, Inc.2 Bloomfield, N, J., a v corporation of New Jersey Application Janufy zo, 193s, serial No. 185,8@ I

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in metal spools or reels of the character usually l employed for holding wire and particularly insulated wire of the kind used for electrical purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely strong and sturdy spool having its elements so designed and connected, that the same may be speedily assembled, thus greatly reducing manufacturing cost, andv the resultant product will not only be very satisfactory in appearance but also of excellent construction.

At the present time,- metal spools ofthis kind are usually provided with a cylindrical core '15 formed with a plurality of projecting tongues on each of its opposite ends, received in complementary slots formed in the sheet metal end discs or heads of the spool and bent over on the outside of the spool. Spools of such known construction require time and skill to assemble since the tongues on the core must not only be aligned with the slots in order to permit them to pass therethrough, but on the finished product the projecting tongues detract from the appearance of the spool and if notproperly and uniformly bent over, a defective spool results.

The primary object 'of this invention, there\ fore, is to avoid the use of projecting tongues orother similar elements. for uniting the spool members; to greatly strengthen the resultant spool; and to also greatly facilitate the assem- Y,

bly of the spool elements. In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention'is shown,'Fig. 1 is a side view of a spool with a 'greater portion of the same shown in section to disclose construction; Fig. 2 is a face View of the outer side of one of the spool discs or heads; Fig. 3 is a lsectional viewl through one of`the heads near 'the center thereof, showing how one end. o1

the cylindrical core is inserted in an annular groove preparatory to curling or bending it laterally to ilare it at its ends and lock it in the groove; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing how the end of the core is bent or curled out-` wardly to engage behind the' tongues or lugs formed on one of the/spool ends, said View being taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a view of the inner face of the central portion `of 'one of the heads or discs; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line v6---Ii of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. rI is a view of the outer side of ,the structure shown in Fig. 6.

-In the drawing I indicates the central vcore or hub section oi the spool, the same being in cylindrical form, and preferably produced from a rolled sectionl of sheet metal, the meeting ends of which are secured together by a, lock seam or by any other known method of joinder. Se- 5 cured to the opposite endsl of vthe core I are the heads 2. Said heads are preferably disclike sections of sheet metal, each of which has its peripheral edge rolled or curled to forml the reinforcing or sti'ening bead 3. Each of the` discs 2 is formed with an annular pressed-out rib or bead 1 which surrounds a depressed central area 4 formed with a central hole 5 surrounded by an inturned-flange portion 6. The portion 4 of the disc forms la cylindrical plug 15 element which fits snugly within the end of the cylindrical core I as clearly shownin Fig. 1, and prevents collapsing of the core under pressure, as presently described. The hole 5 pro- Y vides an opening for a spindle or other. support 20 for the spool.

The wallof the bead Tis formed with a plurality of spaced lugs or tongues 8 which are cut out of the outer wall portion of the bead and directed inwardly toward one another'so 25 that their free ends project into the concave side of the bead,'or in other Words into the annular recess formed in the inner face of the disc by the production of the bead. The lugs 8 so formed, are inclined or slightly bent upwardly 30 as clearly shown in, Figs. 3 and4. The manner in'y which the hubportionl is' secured to the discs 2will `be clear-from Figs. 3' and 4. 'I'he discs il` are first fitted on the ends of the hub I With the portions 4 of the discs extending and 35 snugly iitting into the opposite ends of the hub I. T he parts are now forced together by spitable tools or dies so that the hub portion I is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 relative to the disc, or alternatively the two 40 discs may be moved toward one another with the` core between them.l As thewend I0 of hub member I is moved, it will' `follow-1theinner curved face of the concave recess formed' by the lcaead. 'l and saidend I0 is thus rolled or 45 curled outwardly'as indicated at 9 to cause it to engage behind the inwardly projecting lugs 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Any tendency of the cylindrical hub Il to collapse inwardly duri ing the.y imposition of longitudinal pressure on it is prevented by the snug-fitting portions l entering into the opposite ends of the cylinder I. 4By the arrangement described, each end of core member I is rmly locked.' in position within the bead 'I by being coniined between the face of 65 the recess and the inwardly projecting and upwardly inclined-lugs 8. It will be .observed that the outer surfaces of the heads of the spool are free and clear of all projections and the inside faces of said heads are similarly clear of projecting elements so that nothing interferes with the winding or unwinding of wire or other material on or from the spool. With the structure described, a strong, sturdy and rigid arrangement is provided and speedy assembly of spools of this character is assured.

What I claim is:

1. A metal spool or reel having a cylindrical core portion and disc-shaped ends, each of said ends having an annular channel-like recess into which an end of the core extends, lugs forced out of the body of the disc and projecting into said recess, the end of the core extending into said recess being laterally curled to conform to the inner surface of the recess and conned between the face of the recess and the lugs.

2. A metal spool or reel provided with, a cylindrical core portion, disc-shaped end members secured to the ends of said core portion, each of said discfshaped ends having an annular bead near its center, the formationl of said beadv providing an annular channel-like recess on one face of the end member into which the end oi the core enters, said core having its end formed with an outwardly directed curled ange, and

vlugs on vthe disc entering into the recess and conning the curled flange between them and the 3. In a metal spool, a disc-shaped end member, a'cylindrical core, an annular rib pressed out of the end member to form an annular channellike recess on one face of the end member, lugs formed out of the body of the rib and projecting angularly inward within the recess, the core having an end disposed within said recess, said end being formed with a laterally. extended curled ange portion confined within the recess between the lugs and the body of the disc-shaped end member.

4. A metal spool having a disc-shaped sheet metal end member formed with a pressed-out rib whereby an annular recess is formed in the face of the end member opposite to` that. in which the'l lthe recess.

5. A sheet metal spool having a disc-shaped end member formed with an annular channelled recess in its inner, face, spaced lugs formed around the marginal -edge of said recess, the free ends of said lugs being directed inwardly within the recess, a core having a ared curled end located in the recess and confined between said lugs and the body of the end member, the end member having a depressed central area surrounded by the recess and snugly tting within the end of the core. f

6. A sheet metal spool having a disc-shaped end member formed with an annular channellike recess in its inner face,`spaced lugs formed around the recess, the free ends of said lugs being directedinwardly within the recess, a core having an outwardly directed curled end ange located in the recess and conforming to the shape thereof and conned between said lugs and the body of the end member, and an inwardlyprojecting plug i portion pressed out of the end member and sur,-

rounded by the recess, said plug portion fitting within the end of the core. I

, DAVID A'. sPRI'GmGs. 

